Zambry’s assurance for investors in Perak

IPOH, 13 May 2009: Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir today gave the assurance that the state administration was running as usual and emphasised that it was needless for investors to be unduly worried about the political impasse in the state.

He said the state government welcomed investors keen to invest in the state and was ready to help any investor having problems in having their application processed.

“They can rest assured about the political climate despite what you have been hearing about the situation here. When it comes to business, I think all Perakians are very serious about it and we would like to welcome everyone to Perak,” he told reporters after chairing the weekly meeting of the state executive council, here.

He said the state government he helmed functioned well despite the political impasse.

“What I want to say here is that business goes on as usual. We are going to focus more on the economic development of the state and the people can rest assured that economic development will go on,” he said.

Zambry said it was more important for him and his executive council to discharge their duties in the administration of the state effectively, honestly and respectably for the good of the people.

“That is what the people want because we do not want to be obsessed with political games which do not bring benefit for the people,” he said.

He asked those questioning the validity of his appointment as the menteri besar to wait for the legal process to be completed and not to use the matter for political games which he said would lead to confusion in the political situation in Perak.

In PENANG, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng today asked Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to call for fresh elections in Perak, saying the political impasse has hurt the state’s economy badly.

Lim, who is Penang chief minister, said that according to a report of the Malaysian Industrial Development Authority (Mida), total investment in Perak in terms of performance had dropped drastically.

The report showed that Perak had dropped from sixth position in 2008 to 10^th in the first two months of 2009, he told reporters after Iran’s ambassador Mahdi Khandaghabadi had called on him, here.

Lim said that based on the Mida report, Perak only recorded RM32 million in investments this year and lacked behind other states in securing investment, with Johor in first place with over RM1 billion in investments followed by Selangor with RM707 million and Penang with RM685 million.

“This also proves that the political crisis in Perak has affected the state’s economic growth and I believe this can be resolved after the dissolution of the Perak state legislative assembly to pave the way for fresh elections,” he said.

Lim said only a stable government would be able to ensure economic growth and development in the state.

He also said that the people in Perak had the power to elect and decide on the rightful menteri besar of Perak.

“Even if we win in the courts, the DAP’s position is to call for fresh elections and dissolve the assembly,” he said, adding that the DAP would return power to the people to decide on the rightful menteri besar.

Yesterday, the Court of Appeal in Putrajaya allowed a stay of execution of 11 May’s Kuala Lumpur High Court decision declaring Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin of the DAP-PKR-PAS coalition as the rightful menteri besar of Perak.

With the suspension of the declaratory order, the post of Perak menteri besar has returned to Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir of the Barisan Nasional (BN) pending the hearing of his appeal against the High Court decision.

Today, Nizar filed an appeal to set aside the stay order, and the Court of Appeal set 18 May to hear the appeal. — Bernama